


Far Longer Than Forever

by Arika_Ito



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swan Princess (1994) Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, Completed, F/M, Inspired by Swan Princess (1994)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28447989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arika_Ito/pseuds/Arika_Ito
Summary: When Edelgard has to spend her summers in Fhirdiad, she's less than pleased. But it's not the biggest problem she faces- she gets turned into a giant black eagle during the day. This was not her idea.Dimitri just wants to get to know Edelgard better. When he finds her ruined carriage after their families break the news of their intended engagement, it all goes wrong. But it's not what it seems.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	Far Longer Than Forever

* * *

Edelgard watches her servants pack her things for the summer. “Father,” she tries to leave the whine out of her voice. “But why? I’d rather spend the summer here with you and the others.”

Her father ruffles her hair, smiling. He kneels, hugging her. “I know, El.” He murmurs gently. “But your mother wants to get to know you.”

She pouts, looking away. She’s ten, and she doesn’t even know her mother. She left the Empire before Edelgard could even remember her, and now she wants to get to know her? It isn’t fair. She wraps her arms around her father, pressing her cheek against his, whispering. “You’re still my favorite.”

Ionius sighs, bumping his forehead against hers. “It’s just two months, Edelgard. You’ll be back before you know it.” Her mother’s name was Patricia, and she lived in the Kingdom of Faerghus as its queen, having married King Lambert there. She has a stepson who is Edelgard’s age, Prince Dimitri.

She’s met Dimitri once or twice during political summits at Garreg Mach, and he strikes her as a real bore. He doesn’t know how to dance and he doesn’t like to read. All he knows is how to fight.

Hector raps his knuckles against her door frame. “You ready to go, little princess?” He teases with a soft smile. His father presses a kiss to her hair before letting her go. Hector will escort her to Fhirdiad, even though he’s the Crown Prince. A sign of respect for the exchange.

“No,” Edelgard says spitefully. She’s the only one that has to go. All of her other siblings get to stay in Enbarr with each other, and she’ll be all alone in Faerghus with people she doesn’t like.

Hector shakes his head, “Come on.” He swings her up into his arms as she shrieks playfully. His father watches them both, smiling. The servants have already started moving her things to the carriage. Now soon she’ll be there too, leaving Enbarr. All of her siblings have already made their personal goodbyes, but they’ll be there to watch her leave. “Maybe you’ll like it in Faerghus, King Lambert is a good man.”

Edelgard scrunches up her nose. “I’ve heard it’s cold there,” she points out. “And that the food isn’t very good.” She looks at Hector expectantly. He squired with her uncle, Volkhard von Arundel- it was how their father met her mother- and Arundel Castle sat on the border between the Empire and the Kingdom. He got to experience some of the Kingdom’s cuisine while he was there.

Hector hesitates, “It’s different,” he says reluctantly. “The Kingdom likes their food in a different manner.”

Kieran pipes in, “He means to say that it’s bland.” He grins mischievously. Kieran squired in Fhirdiad himself under a man by the name of Baron Dominic. He’ll escort her to Faerghus as well. She tried to get him to stay, but he won’t be able to.

Hector stares at him flatly. “You’re not helping.” Kieran grins as they descend the stairs.

When they reach the courtyard, all of her siblings are there. Castor and Katarina throw themselves at her, sobbing. They’ve always been together, as Edelgard is only a couple of years older than the two of them. “I’ll miss you.”

Edelgard sniffles, feeling tears well up in the corner of her eyes. She doesn’t want to leave. Deirdre strokes her hair, handing her a book and a box of things. “A journal for you,” Astrid explains, “And extra envelopes and parchment so you can write letters.” She lowers her head to whisper in her ear. “There are also some cookies that Isadora baked in there too. You don’t need to share with Kieran or Hector.”

Edelgard starts to bawl, and that sets everyone off, even her older brothers. She’s still crying when they load her into the carriage. She turns, pushing the curtains aside to wave goodbye to her family. She won’t see them for another two months, which feels like forever.

* * *

Dimitri swings his legs, waiting for the arrival of Princess Edelgard. His stepmother made him get up early for this. He faintly remembers Princess Edelgard, he knows her older brother Prince Kieran better. He was a skilled fighter, and he and Glenn always had a small rivalry against each other. Patricia mentioned there was a chance that he would escort her daughter.

He glances at his stepmother, who smiles at him nervously, squeezing his father’s hand. It took almost a year of negotiations for Emperor Ionius to relent his hold on his daughter, allowing her to visit his stepmother in almost ten years. She hadn’t been Faerghus for ten years, but to Dimitri, it felt like she had been there forever.

Her voice gasps when they spot the standard of the Adrestian Empire in the distance, the two-headed eagle embroidered in gold on a red cloth. She stands up as the carriage draws nearer and nearer. He sees Prince Kieran and someone else, an older man with light brown hair and brown eyes dressed in royal attire.

He glances at his father expectantly. “That’d be Crown Prince Hector,” his father explains, murmuring to him. His back stiffens as they come closer and closer.

They come to a halt as the Royal Guard stops and both princes dismount from their horses with a thud. “Your majesties,” Crown Prince Hector bows, as does Prince Kieran. “It is good to see you both well.” His voice is low and Crown Prince spares a small smile for Dimitri when he straightens his back.

Prince Kieran grins at him and knocks his hand against the carriage before he opens the door. A small pale hand reaches out of the carriage, grasping Prince Kieran’s hand as Princess Edelgard exits the carriage calmly, her light purple eyes piercing through Dimitri first and then his parents. She has the same color eyes as his stepmother.

She raises her chin and looks away. “May I introduce Princess Edelgard?” Crown Prince Hector announces, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks back at them and dips into a curtsey before rising again, unsmiling.

His father smiles, placing his hand on Dimitri’s shoulder. “This is my son, Prince Dimitri.” He bumps his knee into Dimitri’s back, pushing him forward.

Dimitri bows, lowering his head. “It is nice to meet you, Princess Edelgard.”

“Likewise, Prince Dimitri,” her voice is soft and quiet. Dimitri swallows, looking her in the eyes. His father gives him a small encouraging nod, and he reaches for her hand and kisses her gently on the fingers.

Princess Edelgard rips her hand out of his fingers, glaring at him. Dimitri hears Crown Prince Hector smack his forehead. This will not be a fun summer.

* * *

Hector sighs as Edelgard slumps over her breakfast. He and Kieran are leaving in two days, and she is not at all happy about that fact. Especially since they’re leaving her behind. Kieran was right, their food is bad.

“El,” Hector chides, “Please sit up straight.” When she deigns to look at him, he looks at her with pleading eyes. She grumbles but straightens her spine. “That’s my girl,” Hector smiles, brushing her hair away from her forehead. 

“Do you have to go?” Edelgard whines- they’ve had this argument every morning, and every morning she hears the same answer.

“Yes,” Hector responds, taking a bite of their very bland food. Hadn’t Faerghus ever heard of spices? Everything tasted the same here. It was awful. “Kieran and I have our duties to take care of at home. It’s only two months, El. It’ll be over before you know it.” 

Kieran slides into the chair next to her, tweaking her cheek. “It’d probably go even faster if you made friends with Prince Dimitri and his companions.” Dimitri had his friends at the Faerghus Court. He’d introduced her to them yesterday, but she wasn’t paying attention, her eyes seeking Hector and Kieran. 

Edelgard scowls at the thought, scoffing. “He’s weird.” Who kissed people’s hands? That certain custom died out years ago in the Empire. Who wanted creepy people kissing each other’s hands?

Kieran and Hector share a knowing look over her head. “He’s a nice boy,” Hector sighs. “He meant well.” Kieran steals a slice of apple from her plate. Edelgard narrows her eyes at him, protecting her breakfast carefully. One thing Faerghus did well was its abundance of fresh fruit. 

“The man I squired with served in the Royal Family’s Guard years’ ago- Gustave,” Kieran takes one look at the food in front of them, snagging an orange instead. “He said Prince Dimitri is shy but friendly.” He ruffles Edelgard’s hair before peeling his orange. 

Hector shakes his head, straightening her hair. “Just give him a chance, alright?” He smiles, cupping her face. “Just pretend he’s like Ferdinand or Hubert.” 

Edelgard bites her lip, remembering her friends at court. Hubert was her vassal, a constant companion by her side while Ferdinand was the Prime Minister’s son. They had an unspoken rivalry, competing over who could read the most books or climb trees the best. Despite being so annoying, she missed Ferdinand too.

“If I try, do you think I could convince Papa never to do this to me again?” She lowers her chin to the table. She doesn’t enjoy being away from everyone. “You won’t teach Ferdinand how to ride a horse better than me, will you?” She begs Kieran.

“Of course,” Hector soothes, lifting her into his lap. He presses a kiss to her forehead. “You know, we’ll miss you too. We just think you’ll enjoy your time here more if you actually tried to make friends.” She tucks her head against his shoulder as he squeezes his arms around her. 

Kieran squeaks her nose as she giggles through her tears. Well...it is only two months. She’ll survive. 

* * *

Ingrid told him that she saw Princess Edelgard in the library. Since their disastrous first meeting, he has spent little time with her. He introduced her to Dedue, Sylvain, Felix, and Ingrid, but that was it. She’s been hidden away with her brothers or in her room. 

He spots her sitting in one of the comfiest chairs in the library with a stack of books next to her. She’s curled up in the chair as she languidly turns the pages. Prince Kieran said that she learned how to fight with an Axe but he hasn't seen her on the training floor at all. 

He looks at her, her long brown hair dangling over the armrests, and wonders what Patricia is thinking. Princess Edelgard was her daughter, yes, but why would she make her spend two months in Faerghus? Dimitri couldn’t even imagine how he would be like if he had to spend two months in Adrestia. 

Steeling himself, he walks into the room, his body tense. Princess Edelgard turns towards him, hearing his footsteps. She untucks her legs beneath her, closing the book. “Prince Dimitri,” she greets coolly, her eyes meeting his flatly. He suppresses a wince, hiding his hands behind his back. 

“Princess Edelgard,” he smiles weakly. Princess Edelgard raises a thin eyebrow, unimpressed. “What book are you reading?” He asks, nodding at the thick book in her lap. 

She glances at the cover quickly. “It’s _Loog and the Maiden of the Wind_ ,”, she says. Dimitri knows that book well, it’s one of Ingrid’s favorites. “I haven’t seen this one in the Imperial Library, and one of your librarians recommended it,” she answers with a shrug. Dimitri nods, understanding.

 _Loog and the Maiden of the Wind_ was a popular children’s novel in Faerghus. It was one of the first books Dimitri ever read. Patricia used to read it to him before bed. He and Felix would beg Glenn to read it to them before they could even read it themselves. 

“Do you like it?” Dimitri says, noticing the bookmark in the well-worn tome. She’s already a quarter of the way through the book. 

She makes a small noise in her throat but nods as she runs a finger across the cover. “It’s quite enjoyable.”

“That’s good,” Dimitri murmurs. “If you’d like, I show you other books that you might like. We have quite a collection in our library.” He fidgets, looking at the ground. He has his favorites, but Ingrid and the others will be a great help in giving recommendations. 

Princess Edelgard smiles back at him. “I’d like that.”

* * *

Edelgard and Dimitri are sitting under a shaded tree, a stack of books between them. They’ve been there for an hour and show no signs of moving as they read over each other's shoulder.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Hector asks his former stepmother as they watch them over the balcony. Her split with his father was amicable. But he knows that she regrets not being able to stay with Edelgard.

Her husband watches her, smiling as he goes over paperwork with Kieran for their son’s engagement to Edelgard. The Emperor will have to agree to it, but they’ll have time to negotiate the terms. Her hands are clenched in her skirts. 

“Yes,” Patricia says brightly. “This is my idea, after all.” 

* * *

As Kieran and Hector promised, the two months go by quickly as they said it would. They were right. It helped when she started being nicer to Prince Dimitri. He still was kind of weird, but he was trying her best. They wrote letters to each other over months when they were apart. They promised. 

She learned that he liked to spar, but broke weapons with a frightening frequency. He learned that she liked to spar too, but liked to read and spend time in the gardens. They balanced their days together, running around the palace. She missed her family a lot but in those short months; she found that Prince Dimitri wasn’t so bad. 

So much so, she was beginning to look forward to her months in Faerghus. Kieran stopped escorting her to Faerghus, but Hector always came. He would stay for a couple of days and then leave. The food in Faerghus still wasn’t as great as the food was in Adrestia but she brought back a book of recipes that they could try in the kitchen, under supervision of course- Prince Dimitri’s friend, the Lady Ingrid, liked them a lot. 

But as the years passed and as she was growing, her family was beginning to grow smaller. They were getting married off and leaving Enbarr. Roderick is still there, serving in their father’s royal guard, but Deirdre was able to join the Opera company as she always dreamed. A few of her siblings joined to serve the Church of Seiros. She lost two sisters to childbirth. But Finn, Castor, and Katarina are still there. Hector has married someone by the name of Mercedes von Martritz, and she’s nice. She makes the best sweets. But Edelgard still feels sad- her family is changing. 

It’s been six years since she started visiting her birth mother in Faerghus, and she still isn’t sure what she’s doing there. Getting to know her birth mother has been nice, but most of her time has been spent with Dimitri. 

As the castle comes into view, her heart beats with excitement. She can’t believe it, but she missed Dimitri. She pokes her head out of the carriage as the castle walls tower over them.

“Excited?” Hector teases her as he rides next to her carriage. Even when married, Hector still goes with her. Mercedes came too, just to escort her to Faerghus. She’s a nice sister, filling the holes where the others left. 

Edelgard rolls her eyes at him as she slouches back into the carriage. It’ll be good to see Dimitri, at least she knows he hasn’t changed. They circle into the courtyard and Edelgard jumps out of the carriage, holding the door open for Mercedes. It was nice having her there. They told each other stories as they traveled to Faerghus. 

“Edelgard!” She throws herself into his arms, squeezing him tightly in a hug. He lifts her off the ground, her feet barely brushing the floor. Hector watches them fondly as Dimitri lowers her back down. 

She looks up at him and smacks him on the side of the arm. ‘You grew!” She says, accusingly. “You didn’t mention this in your letters.” Dimitri rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. He’s more than a head taller than her now. This isn’t fair. 

He looks her up, and down, his cheeks going a slight pink. “You grew as well,” Dimitri responds. Edelgard crosses her arms, scowling at him, and Dimitri chokes. “Your highness,” he bows to Hector and Mercedes when Hector clears his throat. “It’s good to see you.” 

“You as well,” Hector nods. “Might I introduce my wife, Mercedes?” They exchange greetings as they unload her things from the carriage. 

Dimitri looks between her and them, smiling down at her. “How have you been, Edelgard?” 

Edelgard slides her arm between his, pressing against his side. “I’ve been well, how about you?”

* * *

As is custom, they have a small feast to celebrate the arrival of Edelgard and Crown Prince Hector. He watches her spin across the ballroom floor, dancing throughout the night. “She looks lovely, doesn’t she?” His stepmother murmurs, sitting down next to him. 

Dimitri nods as his eyes never leave her. She said that he had grown, and he had, but she had grown in different ways as well. She rubs his arm. “We’ll announce the engagement soon,” she informs him. “Her father finally agreed to the terms.” 

Dimitri’s voice catches in his throat. “Do you- do you think she knows?” They told him last year after Edelgard left when the summer ended. He spent weeks thinking about it. Edelgard as his wife. He could never have imagined it when they were younger, but the more time they spent with each other, the easier it was to grasp. 

Patricia frowns. “She has too. She’s the age where she should start thinking about getting married.” She looks at him. “You’re okay with it, right?” Dimitri nods. He knows he’s luckier than most, getting to know the person he’s engaged to. Edelgard lamented that fact frequently during her letters, as her siblings were getting married as well. She said that Mercedes was nice, but she and Hector scarcely knew each other before they wed. 

The song ends and Edelgard smiles at him, breathless. “Come on, Dimitri!” She tugs on his arm. “You haven’t danced at all.” She pulls him onto the floor and the musicians begin to play a slow song. 

“It’s good to see you,” Edelgard murmurs as they dance. Dimitri has two left feet, so it’s a wonder he hasn’t stepped on her toes yet. She’s used to it, but he’d prefer not to. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually looking forward to this summer.”

“Really?” Dimitri says, surprised. He knew that she was enjoying the summers here, but he would have never said she was looking forward to them. She missed her family in the Empire, so it made sense. 

Edelgard nods. “Everyone at home is talking about who my siblings are going to marry,” she says with a frown. “I really don’t want to hear about that. Them being treated like cattle. They’re humans too, you know.” Her frown grows even deeper. “I never want to marry.” 

“Then what will you do?” Dimitri asks quietly as they twirl around the ballroom. 

Edelgard paused in her thinking, leaning her head on his chest. “Maybe I’ll hide in Faerghus with you. That way no one will ever bother me about it.” They shared a small smile as Edelgard intertwined his fingers with his. 

But Dimitri feels a pit in his stomach growing bigger. Would she be okay getting married to him? _She wasn’t._

* * *

Months passed with little to no news from the Empire. Dimitri could not get the dying words of Crown Prince Hector out of his mind. _A Great Beast_ , what did he see? He has too many regrets to let those thoughts go, even as he trains and studies to become King after his father. 

The only thing he has of Edelgard is the gift he had prepared for her the night of their engagement and the dagger. Edelgard had stared long and hard at him because it was a gift for her first summer in Fhirdiad. But Dimitri explained to her what it meant, and she nodded, belting it at her waist. It warmed his heart, some knowledge that she never lost it. It was his now.

Mercedes was the lone survivor of the attack, unable to describe what exactly attacked them. But word comes from the Empire that other members of the Royal Family are disappearing and other key members of the court. Then they hear that the Emperor has died too, leaving the Prime Minister in charge. What was going on in the Empire?

His parents don’t push him; Patricia has gone into mourning as her daughter has disappeared. But slowly, life continues. Dimitri trains every day. They have not heard of the Great Beast reappearing but if this monster is terrorizing the Kingdom, he must protect his people. 

They have a visitor from the far off Almyra. It’s their crown prince, Khalid, who is touring around the rest of the world. Dimitri is tasked with entertaining him as they are of similar ages. He is a tan man with agile fingers and skill with a bow. Dimitri favors the lance, but he shows him around the Kingdom lands. They train together. Slowly his heart begins to heal. 

* * *

Edelgard spreads her wings as she shakes them out, floating on the water. She’s been here for weeks, if not months. Thales won’t say what he wants from her as he keeps her captive here. She isn’t even sure what’s going on in the outside world. 

All she remembers is being in a dungeon. Her siblings were there, crowded into cells with each other. All except for Hector. They were confused about what was going on. They had all been separated across Fodlan but captured in the night. She was captured as she was leaving the Kingdom with Hector, taken from the ruined carriages with Hector’s body. They left Mercedes behind.

And then they all started to die, one by one. Only Edelgard was left. She’s not sure how, but Hubert and Ferdinand found her. They tried to rescue her. They got caught. 

She kicks out her feet as she nears the edge of the lake. “Any news?” She asks, tiredly. Another girl was caught with them at the wrong place at the wrong time- Dorothea. They turned her into a fox. Hubert was a giant crow and Ferdinand was a dog. Edelgard herself was a black eagle and the only one that could transform back into a human when the moon touched the lake. 

However, Thales warned her if she was not there when the sun rose, she would die. She had to be on the lake when the sun rose so she would transform back into a black eagle. 

Ferdinand shook his head. He had been one of her companions in Enbarr. His kind-hearted nature led him to his involvement. “No luck,” he says mournfully. “The forests are thick and wild. I have no idea where we are.”

Hubert clicked his beak, ruffling his feathers. “We must be somewhere between the Kingdom and the Empire. But where?” The lake was next to a ruined castle where Thales stayed. He wasn’t there all the time, however, which meant that they could plot against him. 

Dorothea rests her head, her tail curled around herself protectively. “There must be something we can do,” she murmurs. Dorothea had been part of the Mittlefrank Opera. She went looking for Deirdre when she didn’t return. “I’d rather not stay a fox forever.” 

Edelgard tips her beak sympathetically, stretching her wings out. “The problem is that we have no idea where we are. I suspect that we’re somewhere in the Kingdom given how cold it is, but that means they would have had to move us from the Empire to the Kingdom.”

The only real clue they had was the ruined castle by the lake. But Edelgard couldn’t recall any ruined castles in the Kingdom. But there had to be something. 

Dorothea tucks her head into her tail. She sighs loudly. Edelgard felt sympathy for her. She really had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Hubert’s eyes glint towards the castle. His feathers rustle. “What are the odds we find something in there? Something that gives us a clue.”

Everyone looks at him. “Hubert,” Ferdinand says warily. “You can’t be thinking-”

“I am.” Hubert murmurs. “Thales lives in some kind of manner in that castle. He has to leave something.” Ferdinand’s tail tucks underneath him, his ears flattening. Edelgard swallows, but hope begins to build in her stomach. Maybe they’ll find something in there. Maybe she can have hope. 

* * *

“So big guy, who’s the girl?” Dimitri falters in his training, the lance striking the dummy’s shoulder instead of the stomach. He stares at Khalid, wild-eyed. 

“I- what?” He stammers. The wooden grip of the lance splinters under his grip. He curses, shaking away the splinters. Khalid smirks, leaning against the straw dummy. 

“The girl,” he teases, leaning down to pick up the broken pieces of the lance. “There is a girl, right? The servants won’t say anything, but apparently all you do is train. There has to be someone.” 

Dimitri swallows, his throat dry. He looks at the ground, toeing the dirt. “There’s no one, there’s no girl.” It’s been months since Edelgard disappeared. The Empire has been on lockdown, with no news inside or out. Any letters sent to the Empire regarding their engagement have gone unanswered. The only thing they know is that Hector died on the way back to the Empire, but that’s it. Nothing else. 

“There was a girl, though.” Khalid prods, resting his chin on the shoulder. Dimitri flinches, remembering the anger in Edelgard’s eyes. No one had thought she would have taken the news of their engagement that harshly. No one would have expected her fierce reaction. He had some hope that she would be happy about their engagement. Those hopes were quickly dashed. 

“There was,” he says hoarsely. “Her name was Edelgard.” Khalid’s fingers dig into the straw dummy. “We were supposed to be engaged.” He closes his eyes and breathes.

“Princess Edelgard of the Adrestian Empire, right?” Khalid nods. “Did the Emperor break the engagement?” He keeps his eyes focused on Dimitri.

Dimitri shakes his head. “She did,” he answers, his mouth dry. “She didn’t-” Khalid clasps a hand on his shoulder. He shakes his head, looking at him. “Do you want to go hunting tomorrow? See if my bow skills have improved under your tutelage.”

Khalid smiles weakly. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

* * *

“This is not a good idea,” Ferdinand paces as Dorothea’s paws are placed on each side of the map. Hubert and Edelgard are studying the dusty old thing, their search inside the castle incredibly successful. They also ran into an old crone who was the castle’s caretaker, and they were hoping that she wouldn’t say anything to Thales. All she did was shriek and mutter at them while they were escaping her. 

Hubert jerks his head up at him. “We need to try something,” he says impatiently. They were right, they were in the Kingdom. They were actually fairly close to the capital. 

“What happens if something goes wrong?” Ferdinand cries out. “What happens if Edelgard does not return to the lake in time?” His ears flatten as Hubert glares at him.

“Then I stay an eagle and that is for the night.” Edelgard murmurs, her eyes drifting towards the capital on the map. _Dimitri_. “There is no one in the Empire who can help us. My family is dead. My father is held captive in his own palace. The Kingdom is the only hope we have. We must try something.” 

Dorothea’s eyes dart between her and Ferdinand. Her tail thumps against the ground. “It’s been weeks since we were transformed. Getting the map was one step, now we need to take another.” 

Ferdinand sighs. The woods are thick. The plan is for Hubert and Edelgard to fly high in the trees. That means that Ferdinand and Dorothea will have to wait by the lake. That’s the part that Ferdinand doesn’t like. The part of them being separated for so long. 

But Ferdinand knows they’re right. His father is working with Thales and the man is so power-mad that he would even sacrifice his only son and heir to secure power. No one in the Empire would help him. 

Edelgard will admit the plan is half-baked. How would they attract the attention of someone who would help them? Edelgard rustles her feathers, flaring them out. Her claws digging into the shallow dirt of the shore. She leans against Ferdinand, lighter than she used to be. “We have to try something, Ferdinand. That is all we can do.”

* * *

“Dimitri!” Khalid shouts after him. “Slow down!” They’ve been chasing the Great Beast on foot for hours, and it shows no sign of stopping as it flies through the air. They’ve almost caught it once or twice as it flits around, but it keeps itself high in the sky.

It’s a large black bird that leads them deeper and deeper into the forest. He grips his lance even tighter, shaking his head. This is the only lead he has, he’s not losing it. 

They reach a small opening in the trees, near a lake and a castle in ruins. The sun has set and he cannot see the Great Beast anywhere. He hears rustling in the bushes and he points his lance towards it.

Khalid rests his hands on his knees, panting harshly. “What the hell?” He gasps out, looking at Dimitri. They were going hunting, but Dimitri saw the Great Beast and left his horse behind. Khalid followed him. 

Dimitri stops at the edge of the lake, looking around wildly. Once able to breathe, Khalid slaps a hand on his shoulder. “I know Black Eagles are rare, but they’re not that rare, man.” He runs a hand through his hair. “How far are we from Fhirdiad, do you think? We’ll probably have to camp out here, I don’t like the idea of trying to get back to the castle in the middle of the night.” 

Dimitri opens his mouth to respond, but a black figure emerges from the trees, drifting towards the water. It’s the Great Beast, with its black wings spread out as it approaches the water. When it lands, Dimitri raises his lance towards it. 

A giant orange dog emerges from the bushes, tackling his knees and throwing his aim off. A black crow flies into his hand, disarming him. He falls to the floor and the moon’s light touches the water. 

Khalid gasps as the water begins to glow and a flash of light blinds them, forcing them to cover their eyes. When the glow disappears, it’s Edelgard, standing on the water. 

“Hello, Dimitri.” Edelgard murmurs, watching him, her hands tucked into her red dress. Her hair is white, but it’s her. He knows it’s her. He runs towards her and she smiles, running towards him. 

She’s real, she’s here. She’s alive. 

* * *

“Oh goddess,” Dimitri whispers, burying his face into her hair. He wraps his arms around her, lifting her off her feet. She wraps her arms around his back, squeezing him tightly. He feels wetness on his chest. 

“I’ve missed you,” Edelgard sobs. He ducks his head into her neck.

“I’ve missed you too.” He sets her back on the ground and presses his forehead to hers. She slides her hand into his, feeling his rough calluses against her soft palms. 

The orange dog that barreled into his knees barks, his tail thumping against the ground. Dimitri almost thinks the dog is grinning as all of its teeth proudly show. Edelgard turns to him and smiles. “Yes, Ferdinand, we did it. I told you this would work.”

Khalid coughs, looking between her and the dog. “I’m sorry what?” He steps forward, tucking his bow underneath his elbow. “I’m Khalid, and who are you again?” 

Edelgard looks at Dimitri first, who nods. She sticks out her hand. “Edelgard.” She says quickly as Khalid shakes her hand.

Khalid nods and then freezes. “Wait, Edelgard. Like Princess Edelgard of Adrestia?” He looks her up and down and then at Dimitri, who’s still clinging to her hand. “Holy shit.” 

“So you’re the black eagle?” Khalid asks, sitting on the shore of the lake. Dimitri’s holding her close, their hands still tightly linked together. “And these are your friends who were turned into animals but permanently?” He waves at a hand at a glowering Hubert with Ferdinand and Dorothea tucked together. 

“Hopefully not permanently,” Edelgard responds, running her fingers through Ferdinand’s fur. Dimitri tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and she smiles gratefully at them. “But once we break the curse, they will return to normal, as will I.”

“And how do we break the curse?” Dimitri murmurs, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. 

Edelgard frowns, tangling her fingers in Ferdinand’s fur. “That I don’t know,” she admits. “I didn’t think we’d get this far.” She pulls her hair over her shoulder, thinking. “Duke Aegir is running everything in Adrestia, isn’t he.” She asks, her voice going quiet. She closes her eyes. She can still see Hector dying in the crash in front of her. She misses her family. Ferdinand lets out a low whine, his ears flattening. 

“He is,” Dimitri confirms, squeezing her hand. “But what about the man keeping you here? Thales.” He says, frowning. “There must be something he knows.” 

“Not in this castle,” Edelgard murmurs. “We’ve already searched the entire thing and found nothing.” She rests her chin on her knees. She didn’t think leading Dimitri to the lake would work. But then again, she underestimated Dimitri’s stubbornness. 

“Edelgard~!” She hears Thales’ voice in the distance. She jerks, turning towards the noise. 

She rises to her feet, pushing Dimitri away. “You have to get out of here!” She whispers, pulling him off the ground. “You need to hide!”

“What?” Dimitri says, aghast. “No, no, I won’t leave you. Not when I just got you back.” His fingers dig into her sleeves.

“You must,” Edelgard insists, pushing him off. “I’m sorry Dimitri, he’s too strong for you.” She runs her hands through her hair, fixing it. When Dimitri falters, she turns to him, hissing. “Go!” 

“I’ll come back to you, I promise,” Dimitri swears as Claude pulls him into the trees.

Edelgard smiles sadly. “I know you will.” She draws her shoulders back, steeling her face. Thales will capitalize on any sign of weakness, any sign of softness, and he will make her pay. 

Hubert flaps his wings, and she hears both Ferdinand and Dorothea growl. She digs her fingers into her dress and closes her eyes to exhale one last time. “Thales,” she says coldly as she turns. He’s walking across the lake. 

“Edelgard,” Thales smirks, lifting her chin with his icy fingers. Ferdinand thinks that the man is half-dead, and she is loathed to think that he is right. He is old magic, and she wonders how Duke Aegir even knows him. “Rethink my offer yet?”

Edelgard narrows her eyes. “Never. I’d rather be dead than sign Adrestia over to you,” she spat. Thales frowns, his hand moving quickly. Edelgard gasps, his hand holding her neck. She dangles off the floor, feeling his fingers dig into her skin. 

Her throat clenches, feeling the last vestiges of oxygen leave her lungs. Thales won’t kill her, he needs her, but it doesn’t mean that he’ll make her suffer. She digs her nails into his arm, holding her up, but he won’t let go. 

She reaches for his middle finger and wrenches it back. Thales swears but drops her and she lands on the ground hard. She coughs, rubbing her throat where she felt his fingers around his neck. She glares at him, balefully and Thales sneers at her. She hopes the others are keeping Dimitri under control. The timing isn’t right. It can’t happen now.

* * *

Khalid had to sit on him in the bushes with Ferdinand in his lap to stop Dimitri from running out there. He saw Edelgard high off the ground; her face turning blue as Thales choked the life out of her. 

They spit words at each other, but eventually, Thales leaves dramatically with a swoop of his cloak. Dimitri waits for a minute, just to make sure that Thales left before he rushes out of the bushes. 

Edelgard is still rubbing her throat when he approaches, and she smiles at him gently. “Pleasant as always,” she rasps out, shaking her head. 

Dimitri kneels. “Let me take you back to Fhirdiad, we can find a cure for you there,” he pleads. He doesn’t want to leave her here. He can’t-, he won’t do this to her.

Edelgard shakes her head, reaching for his hand. She squeezes it. “If I’m not at the lake by the time the sun rises, I’ll die. I can’t, Dimitri.” She presses her forehead against his. “You know where I am, at least that’s something.”

And while it’s a long journey to Edelgard’s lake, Dimitri makes it every few days, even if Khalid chooses not to join him. His parents notice and they ask and Dimitri lies to them. Until they break Edelgard’s curse, they need to keep it a secret. They’ve been able to keep Thales unaware of his presence, but he doesn’t want to risk Edelgard’s safety. 

In the meantime, he begins to train. If he is meant to take on this _Thales_ , he needs to be prepared for him. He needs to save Edelgard from him.

* * *

“This is for you,” Dimitri murmurs, pulling the small box from his pocket. He pulls out a small silver necklace with a small lion engraved in a silver circle. Edelgard leans against him, feeling his warmth. Although they’re no closer to finding a cure to the curse placed on her and her friends, she feels buoyed by his presence. 

“I meant to give to you on the night our engagement was announced,” Dimitri explains quietly. Edelgard examines it in the moonlight as it glints in the stars. He waits for her response.

“It’s lovely,” Edelgard remarks, running her fingers over the small lion’s head. She hands it back to him and he shakes his head.

He closes her hand around it. “Keep it for me, please?” Dimitri implores. “A sign of my love for you.” Edelgard freezes, stunned. “You don’t have to say anything, but please.” 

She turns to him. “Me running away was not a rejection of you, you know that right?” Dimitri swallows and looks down, avoiding her eyes. “It wasn’t.” She repeats. She squeezes his hands, dropping the necklace onto the floor. “It wasn’t about you, it was about everything else. The thought of marriage scared me, it still does.” She cups his face. “But if it’s you, I think it’ll be alright. I love you.” 

Dimitri presses his forehead to hers, smiling happily with tears in the corner of his eyes. Edelgard picks the necklace back up. “I can’t wear this, though,” Edelgard explains. “Thales will notice.” She shakes her head. “I won’t let him hurt you.” 

“But you will keep it, won’t you?” Dimitri presses and Edelgard looks up at him in his lovely blue eyes. She nods, depositing it into her pocket. She can’t wear it now, but she longs for the day when she can.

She keeps it hidden away. She admires it when she can in the night, her fingers stroking the small engraved lion’s head. She touches it when she can, wishing that she could wear it proudly at night. But Thales would know. He’d be angry. He’d hurt Dimitri.

* * *

It falls out of her pocket at night. He finds it. He doesn’t hurt Dimitri. He hurts her instead. 

Khalid chose to come with him today- he usually doesn’t but that Almyran prince said he had a bad feeling. When he approaches the lake, he sees Edelgard falling to the ground and Thales standing triumphantly in front of her body. His lip curls when he sees them both. “Foolish girl. She could have had all of Fodlan if she just agreed.” 

Dimitri looks at her unmoving body. “No,” he shakes his head, swallowing. “No.” The sound of popping turns Dimitri’s head and three people emerge from the bushes. A woman with long brown hair and two men, both of them with short hair, one redhead and one with black hair. 

“Lady Edelgard!” The black-haired one calls out as Edelgard lays there. He turns on Thales. “You!”

“Such a shame, Hubert. You had such talent.” Thales taunts. Dimitri readies his lance, aiming it towards Thales. “Not today, gentlemen.” Dark magic swirls around him and he transforms into a giant bat. He must have been the Great Beast Hector was talking about. He launches into the air, taking off into the night sky.

Dimitri looks at Edelgard, helpless. _Nonononononono._ She isn’t breathing. She hasn’t moved. 

Thales shrieks as an arrow pierces through his wings. “I don’t think so, buddy,” Khalid murmurs, lowering his bow. He readies another arrow as Thales falls into the lake. 

“Be prepared,” Dimitri warns. He tosses the javelin he brought over to Ferdinand as Hubert and Dorothea prepare spells in their hands. Ferdinand nods, taking the javelin gratefully. Dimitri’s happy that Edelgard had such loyal companions around her. They would help him kill Thales for her. 

Thales rises from the water, screeching angrily. Khalid pierces the other wing without a second thought. Thales shakes it off, charging at them. Dorothea and Hubert throw black and white lightning at him, but he shakes it off. He knows Hubert into the trees with his wings while Dorothea rolls to duck his wings as she throws a Thunder spell into his chest. 

When Ferdinand throws his javelin at his ribs and Khalid follows it up with another arrow strike, Thales turns on them angrily. Dimitri pulls them out of the way as Thales rampages towards them. He has to time this right. Even if he won’t get Edelgard back, Thales needs to die here. He’s too much of a threat otherwise.

He’s able to hit Khalid on the second time and he tumbles on the ground, landing near the lake’s edge. Dimitri swallows, knowing that their advantage has weakened. His eyes meet Thales dark black ones and he understands that this man, this monster, has no soul. The lance-head clashes with Thales’ claws as Dimitri bats them away from his body. He’s strong and fast. It explains how he was able to ambush a whole Imperial guard.

Thales swipes his claws at him and Dimitri sidesteps, thrusting his lance forward and catches him in the shoulder. Thales snarls and with his other claw breaks the lance in half with a snap, snatching it from Dimitri’s hands. 

He pins Dimitri down to the floor and raises his claw towards him, preparing his last strike. Dimitri fumbles for his belt and as Thales lowers his claw for the final kill, Dimitri pierces him in the heart with the dagger he gave Edelgard all those years ago. 

Thales roars and Dimitri pushes the dagger even further, the hilt almost disappearing into his body. He screeches, the black magic battering around him and Dimitri curls into himself, covering his head as Thales’ body turns to dust. 

Khalid rises from the lake’s edge, bruised and battered. “Is he dead?” He rasps out as he staggers towards Dimitri. 

Dimitri nods, pushing himself off the ground. His boots splatter against the water as he reaches Edelgard’s body. He cups her cold cheek, pressing his forehead against her. “Nonononononono,” he mutters endlessly. “Please!” He shouts, looking around wildly. “Anybody!”

Dorothea walks towards them and kneels, brushing a lock of long brown hair behind her ear. She raises a glowing white hand. “Let me try,” she murmurs, pulling Edelgard into her lap. She concentrates, and the sensation of healing magic flows around them. Slowly, Dimitri begins to hope.

* * *

When Edelgard wakes up, she feels very warm. She’s covered by a fur cloak and is in the lap of a slumbering Dimitri. Next to them and a small fire is Khalid, curled around his bow and quiver protectively. Hubert and Ferdinand rest their heads on each other’s shoulders and Dorothea sleeps, tucked into a ball. 

Hidden in her hand is the small silver necklace Dimitri gifted her. The sun has risen. She’s not an eagle. Her friends are no longer animals. She unclasps the necklace with shaky fingers and locks it around her neck. Her movements jostle Dimitri awake, who blinks slowly until his gaze focuses. 

Her hand reaches for his underneath his fur cloak and she presses her forehead against his. “He’s dead?” She asks quietly and Dimitri nods. 

“I love you,” Dimitri answers. She squeezes his hand, and she kisses him, her other hand wrapping around the base of his neck. She circles her arms around him and rests her head in the juncture between his neck and shoulder. She’s safe. She’s home. But she also has work to do. They have work to do.


End file.
